Chocolate Kisses
by kayladie
Summary: Luke really enjoys his chocolate. Can Mara ever be able to understand his obsession?


**A/N: Okay, to get over a really sad story being written by one of the authors over at SSB (still crying, JayCee!) I wrote this mushy little viggie with Luke, Mara...and chocolate! **

**Timeframe: Sometime after VOTF, but before Union**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and I'm not making any money off this. But presents containing real chocolate are happily accepted! **

The package finally arrived two days before his birthday. He had begun to fear that she'd somehow forgotten this year, even though he told himself that was ridiculous. She had never forgotten, not once in the last fifteen years. Since the day they had discovered their true relationship, she had never failed to have it to his doorstep - wherever that happened to be at the time - before their birthday.

Although, two days was cutting it a bit close, in his opinion.

Luke Skywalker couldn't help the little exclamation of delight that escaped him when he opened the door of his apartment on Coruscant and saw the courier holding that tell-tale white box with the red ribbon. Eagerly, he signed for it, not even noticing the awestruck look the young man was bestowing on him, before handing the boy a generous tip and unthinkingly shutting the door in his face.

Not that he meant to be rude, it was just that Leia had _finally_ sent his birthday present!

With a spring in his step, he walked through his living room and out onto the balcony overlooking Coruscant and the Manarai Mountains. The perfect spot to enjoy Leia's gift.

Luke sat down on a lounging chair he kept on the balcony, and propped his feet up. He smiled as he ran his hand over the gilt gold lettering on the box. _Gorradette's Fine Chocolates. _Almost reverently, he broke the seal and opened the box, closing his eyes as the wonderful scent drifted up to his nose. He lifted it to his chin and just inhaled deeply, the smell alone causing his mouth to begin watering.

Lowering the box to his lap, Luke carefully put his thumb and index finger around one delicate piece of the chocolate. Again, he raised it to his nose and breathed in. He opened his mouth and laid the sweet on his tongue, before leaning back in the chair with a contented smile.

He was on his third one, reveling in the way the chocolate just melted in his mouth, when he was rudely interrupted.

"What in the hell are you doing, Skywalker?"

He opened his eyes to see the lovely form of Mara Jade standing beside his chair, staring at him with a bemused expression on her face.

"Nuffing," he said around the treat filling his mouth.

"Oh, I think you're definitely up to 'somefing'," she said, with a smirk. "I started to burst in here with my blasters blazing, expecting to find you with another woman, because your sense in the Force feels just like it does when we're having sex."

Luke choked a little on the sweets and gave her an affronted look. Carefully, he swallowed what was left in his mouth and said, "Mara, I certainly know better than to cheat on you before we're even married."

"Right, I realized that, too. So then I thought, 'Well, maybe he's making himself happy'," she said with a raised brow.

"Mara!" Luke shouted, aghast that she would think such a thing. Well, it wasn't like he _didn't_ do that, but it wasn't something one discussed. His Aunt Beru had made sure he understood that much.

"But I see you here, out on your balcony, fully clothed, and I have to ask again...what the hell _are_ you doing?"

"For your information," he said in a lofty tone, "I am eating my birthday chocolate."

"Chocolate," she repeated.

"Yes."

"And that's got you horny?" she asked, squinting in disbelief.

"Mara! I'm not horny! I just enjoy the taste of chocolate, that's all."

"A whole, whole lot, apparently!" Mara said with another smirk. "So who gave it to you for your birthday?"

"Leia gets me a box of these," he held up the lid of the box so she could read what they were, "every year. It's the only time I get to eat them."

"Why?" Mara asked in confusion. "It's just candy, isn't it?"

"Bite your tongue, woman! This is only the finest chocolate on all of Coruscant. Maybe in all of the Core worlds. Heck, maybe in the entire galaxy!" Luke said fervently. He ignored her rolling her eyes. "And the reason I only get it once a year is because it's outrageously expensive."

"How much can candy cost?"

"This galaxy's finest _chocolate,_" Luke emphasized the proper term for his birthday present with a pointed look at her, "is only available in one tiny shop on the 52nd level of the Business District on Coruscant. Therefore, it is quite expensive." He quoted a price that made Mara's eyes bulge out a little.

"Sith, Skywalker! I have fine jewelry that doesn't cost that much!" she exclaimed.

"Ah, chocolate is far better than jewelry anyway."

She gazed at him with narrow eyes. "As the man who's going to be buying me birthday and anniversary presents for the rest of our lives, you'd better rethink that sentiment."

Luke coughed nervously. "Well, not for _you_, of course! But yes for me. Definitely for me."

"And what's so special about these _chocolates_?" she asked, mocking his insistence on the correct terminology.

"They are only made with natural ingredients. Absolutely nothing synthetic in them at all."

Mara eyed him doubtfully. There weren't too many foodstuffs these days that were not created at least in part in some laboratory somewhere. Personally, Mara trusted that method more than nature, which seemed a little too random for her tastes.

"Are you sure it's safe? What if this natural stuff affects your body somehow?"

"Of course it's safe. I've been eating it for the last fifteen years, and look at me."

Even as her eyes brightened and her mouth opened, Luke raised a finger to point warningly at her.

"That would be a cheap shot, completely beneath you, and you know it," he said.

She stood there with her mouth still open for a moment, as if deciding whether he was right, before finally shrugging her shoulders. Mara looked back down at the box of chocolates. Reaching down before he could stop her, she grabbed one and popped it in her mouth, chewing it with a thoughtful expression, as if she was trying to decide if he was just full of bantha dung.

"Mara! Not like that!" he gasped in outrage.

"What, there's a proper way to eat a piece of candy!" she asked as she gulped the piece down. She was beginning to get seriously annoyed with him...

Luke sighed and stood up. Holding the precious box of chocolates in one hand, he put his other hand on her elbow and guided her to sit in the spot he'd just vacated. After she'd done so, only a little grudgingly, he lifted her feet and sat down on the end of the lounger chair, settling her legs across his lap.

"Now, I want you to sit back and completely relax. Close your eyes and let your mind go totally blank."

She did as he suggested, but then cracked one eye open and peered at him suspiciously. "You wouldn't be trying to sneak a little Force lesson in on me, would you?"

"Jade, sometimes even the Force takes a backseat to chocolate," he said solemnly.

She blinked at him in surprise, before deciding that he must be either insane, or serious. Since she didn't want to think about the fact that she may have agreed to marry a crazy man, she opted to go for the serious choice. Obediently, she closed her eyes.

"Are you completely relaxed?"

"You should know as well as anyone that this is as relaxed as I'll ever get," she snorted.

"We'll just see about that," Luke said smugly. "Open your mouth." After she did so, Luke continued his instruction. "Now, I'm going to put it on your tongue. I don't want you to chew it, just let it melt on its own."

Mara would have rolled her eyes again if they were open, but she would indulge him. She felt his fingers brush against her lips as he put the sweet on her tongue. She closed her mouth, resisting the urge to chew and just let it sit there as he'd said.

"Now, let everything else go, and just focus on what you _feel_." his voice whispered near her ear.

Pondering that backing out of the wedding at this late date would mean that she'd have to send all the presents back, Mara concentrated, but she was going to have a talk with Leia about her choice of birthday presents, that was for certain. There would be no more of this ridiculous 'it's chocolate, not candy' stuff.

Then the oddest thing happened. As she concentrated on what she was feeling, the chocolate began to melt in her mouth. It did taste delicious, even more so this way than when she'd chewed the earlier piece. She stiffened a little in surprise and pleasure as she tasted the rich flavor spill over her tongue; as the sweet smell filled her nostrils; as she felt every corner of her mouth tingle when the chocolate touched it. It was such an incredible sensation, that she unconsciously let out a sensual moan.

Her eyes opened slowly as she heard Luke's low laugh in front of her. He was smiling at her, and Mara couldn't help but return the gesture.

"Are you convinced?" he asked in a low voice.

"Oh, yes," she breathed. "That was...well, delicious doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Would you like another?"

"Silly question, Farmboy," Mara said with a sultry look.

Luke's chuckle warmed her insides as he obligingly placed another chocolate in her waiting mouth. She closed her eyes eagerly this time, wanting to experience that little bliss again. Luke's breath brushed her cheek and she grinned, eyes still closed.

"Do you know what these particular chocolates are called, Mara?" he whispered, and she could sense his mouth hovering right in front of her own.

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

"Corinthian..." he kissed the corner of her mouth, softly, causing Mara's heartbeat to pick up several paces. "...kisses." He kissed the other corner and Mara couldn't help turning her head to attempt to follow his mouth. The combination of Luke's kiss and the heady sensation of the chocolate melting on her tongue was driving Mara mad with desire.

Then he was giving her a real kiss, and Mara melted into him much the same way the chocolate had melted on her tongue. The kiss deepened as the last sliver of chocolate slid from her mouth to his. Mara sighed with pleasure, scooting forward to plop herself fully in Luke's lap. They were both softly laughing as she finally pulled away, and Luke wrapped his arms around her in a loose embrace. Mara rested her head on his shoulder with a satisfied sigh.

"Still going to have a talk with Leia about her choice of birthday presents?" he asked slyly.

"You were peeking," she scolded, but she was still too high on his kiss and the remaining delight of the chocolate to get too mad.

"Couldn't help it," he said and she could hear the smile in his voice. "But I'll bet you don't want to say anything to my sister now, do you?"

"Yes, I do! I'm going to tell her I want a box for my birthday, too," Mara retorted.

They spent the rest of the day enjoying the Corinthian kisses...and each other.


End file.
